A SUSPECTED financier of the Maute group that was involved in the recently ended occupation of Marawi City was arrested in Novaliches, Quezon City on Friday, Oct. 27, radio reports said that noon.

Chief Supt. Guillermo Eleazar, director of the Quezon City Police District, said the suspect, Rasdy Malawani, also known as Rasdi Macabangkit, 42, managed the Salam Bazaar at the Novaliches Plaza Mall, collecting rent from stall holders.

The store is believed owned by Ominta Romato “Farhana” Maute, the mother of slain brothers Abdullah and Omarkhayam, who led the extremist group that battled government forces for control of Marawi for five months from May 23.

The police and military personnel who arrested Malawani also recovered a .45 caliber pistol, a rocket-propelled grenade, and bank transaction receipts supposedly linking him to the Maute matriarch.

He will be charged with illegal possession of these weapons.

But National Capital Region Police Office Director Oscar Albayalde said Malawani could face rebellion charges as well for aiding the Maute group.

At a press briefing, Mr. Eleazar said that, following Ominta’s arrest soon after fighting broke out in Marawi, it was Malawani who remitted the rent he collected – an average of P300,000 a month – to Azesha Makabangkit-Maute, also known as “Lily,” in Marawi City.

Azesha is the wife of Madie Maute, who was killed during the fighting in Marawi in August.

Mr. Eleazar said a financial investigation is underway into how Malawani and Farhana’s legitimate businesses provided funds to the Maute group.

“We have reason to believe, based on the information (and) the case build-up conducted that funds that were obtained from these businesses are being used to support activities in Marawi,” he said.

Mr. Albayalde for his part said police are monitoring individual supporters or sympathizers of the Maute group, including “lone wolves” like Malawani as described by President Rodrigo R. Duterte and affirmed by Armed Forces spokesman Brig. Gen. Restituto F. Padilla, Jr.

“Dito kasi (Here), they can do legitimate business and puwede sila magpunta kung saan-saan kasi marami silang kamag-anak at enclave (they can go wherever they want because they have many relatives and enclaves),” he added.

At the same time, he stressed, “we would like to make clear that there is no clear and present danger of any terror attack in Metro Manila. Metro Manila remains peaceful.”

FOREIGN ASSISTANCE
Also on Friday, Malacañang disclosed that the government has received assistance for rehabilitation efforts in Marawi City from Canada, China, Germany, Korea, India, Thailand, and Singapore, as well as several international organizations.

“The details shall be provided soonest as the financial and resource management support group is firming up the details and commitments,” Assistant Secretary of the Office of Civil Defense Kristoffer James E. Purisima said on Friday’s press briefing.

Mr. Purisima also cited pledges from the Asian Development Bank, European Union, World Bank, and United Nations Development Programme, although he added:

“We’re studying, we’re studying this within the framework of the task force and under the finance and resource mobilization because that’s the agreement among the agencies of the task force that any pledge or any aid that we are receive or may mga offers ng donations, idadaan lahat ‘yan sa task force,” (it will go through the task force). Mr. Purisima said.

To recall, President Rodrigo R. Duterte has made it policy for the Philippines not to accept grants if there are certain conditions attached.

“Individually, if there are organizations or countries that approach specific agencies, the agreement is that, that agency would have to disclose that to the task force and the task force will discuss whether to accept it,” Mr. Purisima said.

The government has also allotted P5 billion for Marawi’s rehabilitation, including the distribution of relief goods to IDPs and the construction of transitional shelters.

In the same press briefing, Mr. Padilla for his part said the Minister of Defense in Australia has offered to train the Philippine military on urban warfare.

“Our most frequent and most numerous bilateral training events are still with our main ally, the US. But we are getting also assistance now with Australia and offers from other countries like China, Russia, and others,” Mr. Padilla said. – Camille Aguinaldo/interaksyon.com, with Rosemarie A. Zamora

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR